Winter to Spring
by Orwhatwehave
Summary: I will love you until the end of time. Draco sits by his love's bed kiss away the pain. Never will I leave her side. Rated for suicidal themes. Oneshot R


I own neither Come What May nor Draco, Hermione or anything else Harry Potterish.

Happy Halloween! Racing through the oneshots at the speed of light- probably another one tomorrow too. And no, I will NOT get back to Now You're in the World for a little while now, because suffice to say that I don't have the patience for anything longer than a couple of thousand words. If you're reading this, read Beautiful Disaster and With Pleasure too. I like going through random ships, and now for a D/Hr…

His heartbeat raced as he gazed her, lying there on the bed in front of him. The Healer's had said she would be all right, but since when did they say anything remotely correct? Fear gripped him and refused to let go as he watched her, more beautiful than ever before but paler than pearls, and pondered over how peaceful she looked, just lying there, chocolate hair spread in a wide amongst the stark white sheets.

Since he had arrived very early in the morning, he hadn't dare lifted the colourless cloth from her body. Not to keep her privacy- no they were married, and expecting a baby; not so as not to wake her- he was sure she would sleep for an age with all that she had been through; no, he daren't look for what he might see, the bloody mass that would be her body.

He buried his face in his hands, mussing his already dishevelled hair, as he struggled to keep the tears from his eyes. What have I done? He thought. He had promised himself, promised that he would look after her, especially in this time of war. Promised that he would stay by her side forever so as not to let her get hurt. Promised that he would never have to see her, like this.

He didn't know what he would do if he lost her now. In his life, even before the war, he had lost so much, she surely could not add to the pain. He couldn't survive without her. Slowly his hand reached up to clasp hers in a tight grip. She felt cold. Too cold. She had lost so much blood…

_Never knew I could feel like this  
Like I've never seen the sky before_

His hold seemed to comfort her however, as her shallow breathing seemed to get stronger by the second. She stirred, and he seemed to automatically fill with hope. Her eyelids flickered open and he held his breath. "Draco," she murmured. He jumped- she was healthier than he had expected after such a shower of curses as that which she had received. He moved closer to her, and she smiled. However, her lips curved only a little and the gesture did not quite seem to fit her pallid cheeks, though her chocolate eyes twinkled with joy.

Unable to hold back his emotions any longer, he leant forward and captured her lips. Gently he deepened the kiss, sighing with delight as her hands regained enough strength to run through his spiky blonde hair. How he longed to kiss all her pain away, to hold this moment for long enough that all their despair would fade into shadow.

_  
Want to vanish inside your kiss  
Every day I love you more and more  
_

Slowly however, her grip weakened and he pulled away, panting slightly. She did not sit up; merely lay there, still with barely the energy to speak. Draco did not need words though. Her eyes portrayed her love for him; a love that he knew would exist always. He knew he needn't tell her the same- he just smiled and brushed a strand of hair from her eyes.

_Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing?_

_Telling me to give you everything_

He could see her fading once more. Surely she couldn't go back to the gloom from which she came? Did she not know how much he loved her- how much he needed her, and had for years?

But his thoughts were to no avail, for with a last look of horror her eyes snapped shut and began to shake violently. The hospital bed quaked loudly, rattling the devices that surrounded his Hermione. The floating heart radar beside her bottomed out in one flat _bleep_.

Draco panicked. "Healers! Healers! Anyone?"

Witches and wizards in white coats came streaming into the room, along with Ron, who had been waiting outside for the past hours to give the pair some privacy.

But all of them took one glance at Hermione and walked out of the room, muttering to each other and throwing him odd looks.

Draco turned to Hermione. She looked as calm as ever, and the heart monitor was bleeping softly once more. He shook his head as if to clear it. Had he dreamt all that? But he was sure it was true- had she been dead for a second.

_  
Seasons may change; winter to spring  
But I love you until the end of time_

He sat back down on the edge of her bed, body still quivering with fear. Those few seconds- just moments ago: he had thought the love of his life was gone. The feeling had been indescribable and he never wanted to experience the pain.

His tired body let his mind drift back to their Hogwarts days, when life had been so carefree- or at least as calm as it got at a school jam-packed full of young witches and wizards. There had been no war raging around them, no panicked fear when any loved one was mentioned, no shadows or excruciating pain

_Come what may  
Come what may  
I will love you until my dying day_

**FLASHBACK**

Hermione walked down a corridor towards Charms, whistling a happy tune softly. Her footsteps reverberated off the hard stone floor as she strolled contentedly, heavy satchel swinging ever so slightly from her back.

She gasped suddenly as strong arms reached out and pulled her into a deserted classroom. Hermione bit back a sigh of relief when she turned to find that her captor was Draco. She gave him one brief nod before he brought his arms around her in a searing, passionate kiss.

_Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place  
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace  
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste  
It all revolves around you  
_

His mind wandered- to her hair; to her lips; to her waist; to her lips; to her neck; to her lips; to her clothes and back to her lips again.

Minutes, hours- to Draco it could have been several sunlit days- passed before he broke away to gaze into her eyes.

"Draco, if anyone finds us…"

He silenced her with his hands on his lips.

"I don't care anymore. No one should have to live like this, in such secrecy."

He bent to kiss her again. She leant back- not so much that he let go of her but just enough that his lips caressed the corner of her mouth instead.

"Ron, and Harry. They'll kill you…"

"Did you not here me, 'Mione? I don't give a shit. I don't care if anyone knows that I love you. In fact, I want everyone to know I love you."

He pulled back a little, hands loosely by his sides, neck outstretched and yelled at the top of his lungs: "I, Draco Malfoy, am hopelessly and deeply in love with the gorgeous Hermione Granger."

_And there's no mountain too high  
No river too wide_

_Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side_

She giggled and pulled him back to her for another tender kiss. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Trust me, this is hurting me more."

"Well… if you insist." A huge grin spread across his face and he gestured towards the door.

"Come," he said, intertwining her hand in his. "Let's give Hogwarts even more to gossip about."_  
_

** END FLASHBACK**

A smile graced Draco's lips as he remembered the good times, and the reaction of the entire female population when they had announced to the school that they were going out.

But those times were gone now, replaced by doubt and despair. One only had to walk onto the street to experience the hurt the wizarding and muggle worlds currently faced. Weeping children tended their sibling's wounds; lovers embraced as if they would never let go.

But he would always be there for Hermione. Here, right by her side, just where he belonged.

_Storm clouds may gather  
And stars may collide  
But I love you until the end of time  
_

He glanced back at his wife to recoil in shock. Her face had become an even sicklier colour. Whiter than marble- the white of death.

This time he didn't call the healers- he knew it without a professional opinion. His wife was dead. His future baby was dead. His love was dead. And he had promised himself he could not live without her.

No tears fell- no, time had passed beyond visual despair, and he knew what he must do.

Draco's face was filled with a deathly calm as he pulled his wand from his sleeve and climbed into his love's bed, laying beside her and wrapping one arm around her waist. His other he used to point his wand at himself and, his words filled with a venomous hatred, he muttered two deadly words. Within seconds his face bore an expression identical to that of the woman beside him, his heartbeat the same non-existent silence, his smile the same peaceful glimmer of sadness.

For now there was no pain. There was only shelter from the hurt. No one could be taken away from them, and they were together once more. Together, and never to be parted. Never again to feel sorrow's harsh blow. They could walk together and never be disturbed. Forever.

_Oh, come what may, come what may  
I will love you, I will love you  
Until my dying day_

**Wow this is a little angsty. Suicide, huh? A little bit too Romeo and Juliet but, hey. Note as well: I thought of the plot after I had started writing the story, so forgive me if I follow a different tangent to that which I started from. I just love one-shots!**


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